App Issues

Common App Issues

The PlumBuddy app is your main way to monitor and control your water system. If the app is not working as expected, this guide covers the most common problems and how to fix them.

App Will Not Open or Crashes on Launch

If the app closes immediately after opening or freezes on the loading screen:

Force close the app. Swipe it away from your phone’s app switcher (recent apps view), then reopen it.
Restart your phone. A full phone restart clears temporary memory issues that can cause apps to crash.
Check for app updates. Open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) and search for PlumBuddy. If an update is available, install it. Older versions may have bugs that have been fixed.
Check your phone’s storage. If your phone is nearly full, apps may not have enough space to run properly. Free up storage by removing unused apps or photos.
Reinstall the app. Delete the PlumBuddy app from your phone and download it again from the App Store or Google Play. Your account data is stored in the cloud, so you will not lose anything.

Cannot Log In

If you cannot sign into your PlumBuddy account:

Forgot Your Password

On the login screen, tap Forgot Password.
Enter the email address you used to create your account.
Check your email for a password reset link. It may take a few minutes to arrive.
Check your spam or junk folder if you do not see the email.
Follow the link to create a new password.

Email Address Not Recognized

If the app says your email is not associated with an account:

Double-check for typos. Common mistakes include extra spaces, wrong domain (gmail.com vs. gmail.co), or uppercase letters.
Try any other email addresses you might have used during setup.
If you still cannot find your account, contact support at support@plumbuddy.co for assistance.

Account Locked

If you have entered the wrong password too many times, your account may be temporarily locked. Wait 15 minutes and try again with the correct password, or use the password reset flow.

Data Not Loading or Showing Outdated Information

If the app opens but shows old data, blank screens, or loading spinners that never finish:

Pull to Refresh

On most screens, you can pull down to force the app to fetch the latest data from the server. This is the quickest fix for stale data.

Check Your Internet Connection

The app needs an active internet connection to communicate with your devices. If you are on a weak WiFi signal or have poor cellular coverage, data may not load.

Try switching from WiFi to cellular data (or vice versa) to see if data loads.
Open a web browser and load any website to confirm your internet is working.

Clear the App Cache

Cached data can sometimes become corrupted and prevent fresh data from loading.

iPhone: Uninstall and reinstall the app. iOS does not provide a separate cache-clearing option.
Android: Go to Settings, then Apps, find PlumBuddy, tap Storage, and select Clear Cache. Do not select Clear Data, as that will log you out.

Water Usage Data Shows Delayed or Missing Readings

Water usage data in the PlumBuddy app may not update in real time. Gallon usage readings can show up as late as an hour after the water was actually used. This is normal behavior and is how the system processes and aggregates flow data.

What to Expect

Hourly chart bars are finalized after the hour ends. If you run the shower at 2:15 PM, that usage may not appear on the chart until after 3:00 PM.
Daily totals update throughout the day but may lag behind real-time use by up to an hour.
The valve status (open/closed) updates in near-real-time and is not subject to this delay.

If Data Is Missing Entirely

If you see no usage data at all for a period when you know water was used:

Check that the device was online during that period. If the device was offline, usage data was not collected.
Pull down to refresh the charts view.
Wait an hour and check again — the data may still be processing.
If data remains missing after 24 hours, contact support.

Valve Commands Are Slow or Time Out

If opening or closing the valve through the app takes a long time or fails:

Check Device Status

First, confirm the device shows as “Online” in the app. If it shows “Offline,” the command cannot reach the device. See our device offline troubleshooting guide.

Slow Responses

A command that takes 5-10 seconds is normal. The command travels from your phone to PlumBuddy’s servers and then to your device over WiFi. If it consistently takes longer than 15 seconds:

The device may have a weak WiFi signal. Consider adding a WiFi extender.
Your home internet connection may be slow. Test your internet speed.
PlumBuddy’s servers may be experiencing high traffic. Try again in a few minutes.

Command Fails Completely

If the app shows an error when you try to open or close the valve:

Force close and reopen the app.
Try the command again.
If it still fails, try using the physical On/Off buttons on the valve itself.
If the physical buttons work but the app does not, the issue is with the network connection, not the valve.

Push Notifications Not Arriving

If you are not receiving push notifications from PlumBuddy:

Check Notification Permissions

iPhone: Go to Settings, then Notifications, find PlumBuddy, and make sure Allow Notifications is turned on.
Android: Go to Settings, then Apps, find PlumBuddy, tap Notifications, and make sure they are enabled.

Check Do Not Disturb

Critical PlumBuddy alerts (like leak detection) are designed to bypass Do Not Disturb, but this requires the correct notification settings. Make sure PlumBuddy is set as a “Critical” or “Priority” notification source in your phone’s settings.

Reinstall If Needed

If notifications still do not arrive after checking permissions, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. During reinstall, make sure to allow notifications when prompted.

Still Having Issues?

If none of the above solves your problem, contact PlumBuddy support at support@plumbuddy.co with:

Your phone model and operating system version (for example, iPhone 14, iOS 17.4)
The PlumBuddy app version (found in the app’s Settings screen)
A description of the issue and when it started
Screenshots if possible

Our team can investigate server-side logs and help resolve your issue.